Military Vehicle Spotlight: WWII WC-54 Dodge Ambulance

This Dodge 3/4-ton was a standard medical evacuation vehicle during WW2 and the Korean War.

Author:
Military Vehicles Magazine
Updated:
Apr 2, 2021
Original:
Mar 27, 2018

1944 WC-54 restored by Michael Penney

This Dodge 3/4-ton was a standard medical evacuation vehicle during WW2 and the Korean War.

WWII WC-54 Dodge Ambulance

G-502 Dodge 3/4-ton Ambulance

Net Weight: 5,920 lbs.
Gross Weight: 7,720 lbs.
Engine: Dodge T-214 6-Cylinder
Displacement: 230.2 cu. in.
Fuel: Gasoline
Horsepower: 76 @ 3,200 rpm
Maximum Speed: 54 mph
Maximum Range: 240 miles

HISTORICAL NOTE:

WC-54 Ambulance of the 2nd Med Bn undergoing repairs in Korea, October 1952
John Adams-Graf collection

Dodge delivered 22,857 WC-54 to the U.S. military between 1942 and 1945. The WC-54 was the main U.S. Army ambulance vehicle used during WWII. Some were still in service with the U.S. Medical Corps during the Korean War while and others served as late as the 1960s in the armies of some European countries.

The closed sheet-metal body was made by Wayne Body works. It had room for a driver and four to seven patients plus a medic. If the fold-away bunk stretchers were used, four patients could be transported lying down.

Virtually unchanged throughout its life, apart from minor technical tweaks, it was later turned into a knockdown version, known as WC-64. The redesign allowed vehicles to be shipped at the same time.